Anarchism in Spain

Anarchism was at its most influential in Spain during the seventy year period leading up
to the civil war.

Spanish anarchism was by no means a homogenous movement. The two main

strongholds were Andalusia along the southern coast and in Catalonia, or more
specifically, in Barcelona, and the anarchism that existed in each area represented their
contrasting cultures, geographies and economies. I hope to briefly explain the reasons
for the mass appeal of anarchism in Andalusia, as well as the success of the movement
in achieving its goals.

Andalusia is a region of Spain that spans across the southern coast, from the border
with Portugal to Murcia in the east. The largely rural area was home to a sizeable
peasant population at the start of the 20 th century and up until the 1890s, the strength
of Spanish anarchism lay in Andalusia. The rapid spread of anarchism, according to Carr,
was primarily because “the anarchist apostles were prepared to adopt as their own the
demands of the Andalusian labourers, even when these were theoretically in conflict
with the principles of the movement” (pg 442). In fact, in these rural areas, the
movement took on an almost religious status. Carr again outlines the similarities: “it had
an ultimate vision of the reign of justice when men would recapture a lost dignity and
human relations would move in perfect freedom and harmony” (445). In fact, the only
thing that prevented the labourers from doing so was the rich landowner, who
continued to oppress them.

The period between 1931 and 1936 saw an increase in anarchist activity across Spain.
On numerous occasions, attempts were made to establish individual communes in
villages or towns. The hope was that a successful insurrection would spark revolutionary
activity in a wider area. Once control of the town was gained, it was common for money
to be abolished, archives to be burnt and the Guardia Civil to be dismantled. One
famous example of this from 1933 occurred in the village of Casas Viejas (which is in
Andalusia, close to Portugal). The anarchists of the town had heard of other uprisings
and so decided to take the town themselves. Gaining control of the town was relatively
simple. However, holding the town proved more difficult once government forces
arrived. In many respects, this was a typical uprising: the anarchists were optimistic and
courageous but they were no match for the strength and aggression of the government
forces. The might and aggressive tactics of the state forces are ultimately why the rural
anarchists were not more successful. This is especially true when you consider how
fragmented the rural anarchist movement was. We can see the roots of this
fragmentation in the early days of rural anarchism, in the adaptability of the movement
from town to town, as I mentioned earlier. This all meant that when an uprising
occurred, it was very easy for the government to use force and suppress it, before the
revolutionary mood could spread.

Reading
Carr, Spain 1808-1975, 2nd Ed., Ch XI part 3

J. Joll, The Anarchists, 2nd Ed., Ch. IX